'Ponniyin Selvan': Aishwarya Rai posts poster of Mani Ratnam's 'golden era' directorial

Actor Aishwarya Rai who made her big-screen presence with the 2018 film Fanney Khan, is all set to make a comeback with Mani Ratnam’s period epic Ponniyin Selvan. The Ae Dil Hai Mushkil star took to Instagram and shared a poster of the film and revealed that the first installment will be out in 2022. The film is reportedly being made in two parts. Apart from Aishwarya, the magnum opus also stars Vikram, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha Krishnan, and Mohan Babu in key roles. 

Aishwarya Rai shares a poster of the next Ponniyin Selvan.

“The Golden Era comes to Life. Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan PS1,” Aishwarya Rai wrote, sharing the Ponniyin Selvan poster on Instagram. Fans were excited about Aishwarya’s next release and were quick to share their excitement over the same. One of the users wrote, “Waiting for your appearance in it... Aishwarya Madam.” Another user wrote, “Congratulations Queen. At the age of 47 years .. you are doing the most expensive film in Indian cinema  Queen in true senses.” A third user chimed in and wrote, “Waiting Aishu.” Another echoed similar sentiments and wrote, “Wow, eagerly waiting.”

According to various media reports, the shoot of Ponniyin Selvan resumed in Puducherry last week. A majority of the film has already been shot in Thailand and Hyderabad. The forthcoming film is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s Tamil historical fiction novel, which chronicles the story of the early days of Arulmozhivarman, one of the most powerful kings in the south, who went on to become the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I. The film is jointly produced by Mani Ratnam’s banner Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions.

Meanwhile, apart from the next film, Aishwarya Rai has worked with the ace director Mani Ratnam in films such as Guru, Raavan, and Iruvar. In an earlier interview with The Hindu, she was asked about having to not only do a lot of research for her character in Ponniyin Selvan but also work on the Tamil language. Sharing her thoughts on the same, she revealed that working with Mani Ratnam is like ‘going back to school.’ 

IMAGE: PTI/BARADWAJRANJAN/Twitter